On Diwali, Homage To Deceased Farmers: SKM

FILE PHOTO: Farmers with mortal remains of their family members who were killed in the violence in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri in October 2021 (PTI)

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha marked Diwali and Bandi Chhor Diwas by paying homage to “more than 653 farmers” who died during the ongoing farmers protest, it said in a statement on Friday.

The umbrella body of farmer unions said protesters have resolved more strongly that they will not let the sacrifice of these farmers go to waste. “Protesting farmers resolved more strongly that they will not allow the sacrifice of more than 653 farmers so far to go waste, and that they will end the agitation only after the demands of the farmers’ struggle are met fully by the Modi government,” the SKM said in the statement.

Earlier on Friday, the windshield of BJP MP Ram Chander Jangra’s car was smashed after some miscreants allegedly threw lathis on the vehicle during a protest over his visit to Haryana’s Hisar. A group of protesters carrying black flags blocked Jangra’s route in Hisar’s Narnaund, according to police.

Later, the road was cleared, allowing the Rajya Sabha MP to proceed, the police said. Jangra said police officials informed him that two people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The SKM said the farmers were organising a sit-in outside Narnaund police station as hundreds of farmers are gathering to ensure that two protestors who have been detained by the Haryana Police during a protest on Friday are released unconditionally.

“The SKM demands that the Haryana administration release all the detained farmers immediately, and also make sure that full medical support is extended to all injured farmers urgently,” the statement said.

Hundreds of farmers are encamped at the three Delhi borders since November 2020 with a demand that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee MSP for crops.

The Centre, which has held 11 rounds of formal dialogues with the farmers, has maintained that the new laws are pro-farmer, while protesters claim they would be left at the mercy of corporations because of the legislations.